“At this point, we’re being careful,” Binghamton coach Luke Richardson told the newspaper. “He’s out indefinitely, but we thought it was nothing, really, at the beginning. I’m sure he’s disappointed and frustrated.”

In his rookie season, Cowen scored five goals and had 12 assists for the Senators, who earned the No. 8 playoff seed in the East and took the top-seeded New York Rangers to seven games in the opening round.

With the ongoing lockout, the Sens sent Cowen to the AHL for valuable ice time.

He had three assists in the opener, according to the report, before getting hurt. Binghamton’s general manager Tim Murray says there is some concern that bringing Cowen back on the ice before proper healing could lead to additional problems.

He did not reveal the exact nature of the injury.

“He’s a big part of our organization,” Murray said. “We’re not going to rush him. We feel we have enough players down there that can play, and he has already proven that he’s an NHL player. We’re not going to jeopardize him long-term by playing him right now.”